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Handyman Letter
February, 2000

IN THIS ISSUE:

1) The Home Repair Zone... a message from the Natural Handyman.

2) Hello and thank you to Websites and publications that have
recently linked with or featured The Natural Handyman

3) What's new at Naturalhandyman.com

4) Q&A with our readers

5) LINKMEISTER's Corner

6) "Pass the hammer, would ya?"... NH's readers speak out!

7) Featured in the Natural Handyman Bookshop...

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1) The Home Repair Zone... a message from the Natural Handyman

Most of us don't even come close to getting everything done we want
to accomplish each day. Life seems to always get in the way with its
distracting hungers and enticements on good days; with its demands and
humdrums the rest of the time. Inspired notions take a back seat to our
daily realities as we move forward in directions we often don't control.

Every month I receive letters from both men and women who want to
take control of their work lives and enter home repair as a business.
Some are nearing retirement and want to turn a lifelong hobby into a
little extra income. Others have had it "up to here" with the
lack of freedom and even lack of respect they may receive as employees.
Whatever the reason, they want to make more of their lives and home
repair-as-career has become their passion.

I fell into the "home repair zone" long before I even
considered it as a career possibility. Like many before me, I cut my
teeth on the renovation of my first home and made just about every
mistake possible, using my domicile as a roofed guinea pig! Each project
presented its challenges, setbacks and eventual triumphs. For me,
though, the joy always was in the small repairs, attacking and
overcoming those niggling problems that seem to be the most annoying.
Even today I prefer to have someone else do the "big stuff"...
even in my own home! Perhaps that is why my 'notion' has become what it
is... a "small" small job business.

This little business was started with a desire to change the path of
my life and my willingness to risk failure to do so. There is no true
apprenticing in small home repair, no union, no "safety net"
or organized system to guide a person into this career path. And, as
with all modern businesses, there is so much to learn and so many hats
to wear. When you are not holding a power tool you will become an
accountant, a salesman, an advertising agent, perhaps a webmaster, at
times an Indy 500 driver and even a psychologist... striking out into
new learning experiences each day. You will laugh, cry, succeed and fail...
sometimes all at the same time. But it is yours... all yours... and
that's the truth that brings it all together and makes it worthwhile!

It's not easy to change a life's path and each person reinventing
themselves does it their own way. But every day that you roll down that
same old dirt road, the ruts get deeper and deeper and turns in any
direction can seem impossible. And had I listened years ago to all the
friendly advice of those around me now left behind, I probably would
still be locked into an unsatisfying worklife and lifestyle. Jumping
those ruts, though, is really what life is all about. Getting up when
everyone is telling you to stay on the mat... "Take the ten count,
Slugger"... is more than difficult. But no true rewards come from
playing dead!

Somewhere in between the joys and frustrations of life there is that
zone... that home repair zone... that will allow you to (at least for a
while) shed your workaday skin and become one with the hammer... the
paintbrush... the wood. I know that once I gave myself permission to
enter the home repair zone, I was rarely disappointed.

Whatever place home repair takes in your life... be it career, hobby
or necessary evil, don't forget that there is a peace and a joy in the
simple accomplishments of home repair that is like no other. Look for me
there... I'll be the one with paint-spattered overalls with way too many
tools in the pockets!

NH

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3) WHAT'S NEW AT NATURALHANDYMAN.COM?

'TIS THE SEASON TO
HAVE ICE DAMS... AGAIN! Always a growing topic this time of year, roof
ice dams cause hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage! Plus that
ever annoying drip... tear out my fingernails PLEEEZE! We don't have all
the answers (yet) but we're working on it! Visit our ice dam page at https://www.naturalhandyman.com/iip/inficedam/inficedam.html
to see NH's and our reader's suggestions for ice dam undamming! Or even
contribute your own special fix.

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4) Q&A WITH OUR READERS...

Dear NH,

How can I select a showerhead without purchasing it and installing
it? The ones I have now simply get me wet. They don't wash or rinse. Do
they still make showerheads that stream water out?

JP from Apex, NC

JP,

I have installed countless showerheads and their sprays are all
somewhat different! The same showerhead sometimes even gives different
results in different homes! So I'm not comfortable giving a brand
recommendation.

All new showerheads currently available in the U.S. are flow
restricting (per Uncle Sam), limiting the amount of water that will pass
through them. This limit is 2.5 gallons per minute. However, this is a
deceptive figure as the testing is done at a constant water pressure of
80 psi. No problem on most high-pressure municipal water systems, but if
you have a 40-50 psi well system, the difference in apparent pressure is
dreadfully obvious! Even though these new showerheads are designed with
smaller outlet holes to cause the "sensory illusion" of a
great flow of water, the effect is of limited value with low-pressure
systems.

So the question is... what is a guy who wants a decent shower to do?
There are a few things. You could, of course, visit someone who has an
older home and try to buy one of their wonderful old water-wasters. Then
again, you could purchase a showerhead with a removable restrictor. I am
not up on all the brands, so I can't make a recommendation. I know that
the Waterpic Shower Massages "used to" have them, but I can't
guarantee that is still the case.

A second option is to make a physical modification to the showerhead
to increase the flow. Since the inlet hose/pipe running to the
showerhead is about one half inch, you will notice that there is a
smaller hole inside the threaded inlet connection of the showerhead.
Drilling out this smaller hole with an electric drill bit to increase
its diameter will increase the flow rate. The feasibility of this
procedure depends on the design of the showerhead and the accessibility
of the restrictor. Be sure to get all the chips out of the showerhead to
prevent blocking the outlet holes.

Frankly, I have no idea if doing this is legal! Here's a toast to
freedom of the press! I made some inquiries and I could not find anyone
who thought that this would not be legal for the homeowner to do.
However, there was mixed opinion as to whether a hired contractor could
legally make this showerhead modification. Take that for what it's
worth!

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Dear NH,

There are green chlorophyll stains all throughout my mortar joints on
the front brick stairs. I have made several attempts to clean them with
muriatic acid and wire brush. It seems to work for a while but the
stains come back. Can you offer any more permanent solution?

CM from North Easton, MA

Dear CM,

You are stripping off (actually dissolving away) a little of the
mortar with each muriatic acid treatment, inadvertently providing a good
medium for regrowth of the moss (or whatever plant life it is!). The
muriatic acid leaves the mortar slightly more porous (and slightly
weaker, too.

Here is a suggestion; use a phosphoric acid masonry cleaner followed
by a neutralizing rinse of household ammonia and water... 1 cup of
ammonia to 1 gallon of cool water. Let the area dry thoroughly and apply
an exterior grade clear masonry sealer. There are a number of products
available at your hardware or home store. This should seal the mortar
sufficiently to retard further growth. However, I cannot guarantee that
this problem will not eventually recur, especially if the mortar is in a
very damp location. Plan on cleaning and resealing the mortar annually.
Don't use the muriatic acid, though... use the lower strength, less
damaging phosphoric acid cleaner.

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Dear NH,

My dinette set was made in 60s or early 70s. It has a Formica-type
top that is high gloss. Is there a simple way to get a matte finish?
Thought about fine sandpaper but I was afraid the finish would not be
even. Also I don't want cloudy finish, since it is a fake woodgrain. Any
suggestions?

L from Opelousas, LA

L,

Formica can be coated with many paints or clear finishes as long as
it is absolutely clean and is very slightly sanded... 220 grit paper
would be the roughest that should be used.

Since you want to maintain the appearance but just lower the gloss,
you could try a water-based polyacrylic coating. This is a durable,
abrasion resistant product that should serve your purposes. Minwax is
one manufacturer of this product. Apply it with a foam brush or
lint-free roller... very lightly! Multiple coats are preferable to a
single heavy coat. This product can also be sprayed if you have access
to the proper equipment. For a small area, though, spraying is
unnecessary to obtain a smooth finish.

Thorough stirring is essential. These products are naturally
glossy... additives are used to produce the satin or "matte"
effect. Don't stir too vigorously and don't shake the can... the bubbles
caused by shaking may not "pop" fully before the finish dries
leaving you with a rough finish. Sand lightly between coats with 220
grit sandpaper. Do not use steelwool.

This is not a manufacturer-approved use for this product, so don't
expect to find it listed on the can. However, the water-based
polyacrylic products are recommended for use over old finishes including
polyurethane... provided that the surface has not been waxed or treated
with an oily finish or soap. Hence, you should get good adhesion on a
plastic laminate.

NH

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6) "PASS THE HAMMER, WOULD YA?"... NH's readers speak out!

Dear NH,

I have a McPherson upflush in my house and of course it doesn't work
so I went to get parts. I need a grinder, plus the valve or pump leaks.
I was told the awful truth- that McPhersons went bankrupt and Zoeller
Quik Jon in KY are now the only makers of upflush toilets and a new one
is $700. Can I get the parts I have rebuilt? Please reply. However, I am
wondering if I want to get it fixed after reading your remarks on them.
Also were the McPhersons a quality product or were they really bad.
Thank you.

S from Terre Haute, IN

Susan Terre Haute, IN

Susan,

Since writing about the McPherson toilets... excuse me... the
formerly available McPherson toilets... I have received both praise and
mildly coarse feedback about them. They seem to have been somewhat
inconsistent in performance... even under similar "loads"
(couldn't resist the pun) they seemed to satisfy some folks while
turning others into teeth-gnashing, drooling Neanderthals.

I can't offer you much confidence in getting repair parts, let alone
a rebuild. I have yet to find anyone with a stockpile of McPherson
products. If I ever do, I will make the name available.

(If any readers know of someone who has parts or rebuilds McPherson
upflush toilets, let me know and I will gladly post the info!)

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Dear NH:

You may just have been enjoying joking around, but I thought I would
let you know about a website with good information on low flow toilets.
It's called Terry Love's Consumer Toilet Reports, and is located at http://www.terrylove.com/crtoilet.htm
He rates lots of models of low flow toilets. The well-rated ones really
do work. The model we bought is only rated "good" by him, and
we didn't have any problems with it, even with two boys and countless
construction workers in and out of the house we remodeled in San
Francisco.

Regards,

RG from San Francisco

RG,

Quite a selection of toilets on Terry Love's page! I will definitely
pass this link along to my readers in the next newsletter! Thanks for
the link suggestion.

By the way, I wasn't kidding. Most folks who have low flow toilets
rarely replace them just because of the poor flush... they just make do.
Since most of the early low flow toilets are still in use, there are
still lots of unhappy campers out there. It's good to see that
technology is catching up with legislation.

Natural Handyman is by far the most helpful and worthwhile site I've
come across on the Internet. This is what the Internet is intended for.
The information I've received and used has made a big difference in the
way my house works and in my pocketbook. In other words, you've made my
life easier. Thanks (P.S. I like the subtle humor your staff writes in,
It takes the edge off of the frustration one encounters in home
improvement).